Design and Critique for Challenging Problems

Jonathan Knoll@yoni

Dana Chisnell@danachis

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You read the bios in the program, right?

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The design studio technique

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Research

Pre-work

Present

Critique

Ungar & White

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Collaborative sketching

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Groups

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Ensure that all voters can vote as they intend

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Goal:

Research

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Poor ballot design

frustrates voters

undermines confidence

contributes to Election Day problems

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All voters are affected

thousands of votes are lost or miscast

all voting technologies are affected

greater risk for some groups of voters

Pre-work + personas

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Instructions

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Contests

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Propositions

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Sketch

rough

radical

risky

First time voter18-24 years old

not very political OR may be very political

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Low literacy voterEnglish may be a second language

Usually low education, with no civics education

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Elderly voterMay have multiple disabilities to greater or lesser extent

OR no disabilities at all

Lots of voting experience

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You

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Present + critique

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Critique: Ask questions

why were the decisions made?

how does it meet the goals?

how does it not meet the goals?

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Receiving critique

improvement, not judgement

be a critic

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Activity

present quickly

critique quickly

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Break

Constraints

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State laws HistoryExpenseTechnology

27http://www.flickr.com/photos/plemeljr/61432544/

splitting contests into different columns

placing different contests on the same screen

placing response options on both sides of names

using arrows rather than bubbles on paper ballots

leaving in disqualified candidates

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Classic problems

Better Ballots: Re-designed Ballot, Kewaunee County

Keep contests in same column

Better Ballots: Sarasota County, FL (2006)One Contest Per Screen for DREs

inconsistency in format and style

not using shading, bold text

not writing short, simple instructions

placing instructions too far away

not telling voters how to correct paper ballots

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Classic problems

Collaborative sketching

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Sketch

best ideas from the group

ideas that meet the goals

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Groups of groups

Come together

Pick a presenter

Presentations + critique

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Collaborate

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Activity

best ideas from the group

ideas that meet the goals

Wrap up

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Questions?

Call to action

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Be a poll worker

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Observe elections

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Volunteer to proof ballots

and materials

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Use the accessible

system

43http://trace.wisc.edu/voting/

Join our projects

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AIGA Design for Democracy

UPA Usability in Civic Life

Jonathan Knoll

jonathan@infinityplusone.com

twitter: @yoni

www.infinityplusone.com

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Dana Chisnell

dana@usabilityworks.net

twitter: @danachis

www.usabilityworks.com

415.519.1148